From the Floors Up

Painting Your Kitchen Cabinets

By Leave a Comment

Remodeling your kitchen can be an expensive home improvement project but worth the investment! With flooring, appliances, countertops, backsplashes, and cabinets all contributing to expenses, it can add up rather quickly. However, there are some tricks you may consider using to help save you time and money. For instance, if you are not remodeling and just updating your kitchen, perhaps repainting your cabinets may be the best move. While the option to just replace your cabinet drawers and doors is still another choice, repainting them can be the best bang for your buck. In fact, this option will eliminate the wood grain and just give them a painted finish. To help you tackle this home improvement project yourself, here is everything you should plan on doing:

Preparation

Prep work is the most essential part of any project. Start by removing all belonging inside your cabinets. Next, remove your drawers and doors from your cabinets. You should give everything a good wipe down to remove any grease or debris. Take off all hardware to cabinets and store them in a safe place. Once your cabinet doors and drawers are removed, you should give everything a thorough sanding. You will want to use a 220 grit sandpaper and sand with the grain. You can sand one more time with 320 to give it a smoother finish. Next, remove all sawdust from the areas and wipe down thoroughly with a dry, lint-free rag or cloth.

Prime

To ensure the best results for your project, you should prime your cabinets. This step can take several coats. You will need to stain each side of your doors and allow each coat to dry properly. Primer can take 8-12 hours to dry, depending on weather conditions. Prime your doors, drawers, and cabinets evenly. You may want to apply three coats of primer. Your primer should have a clean-looking finish with no orange peel before starting each additional layer.

Paint

Next, use your paint to paint all your cabinets, doors, and drawers. Allow each coat to dry thoroughly as well. You should apply two to three coats of paint to your project. If your coat does not have a sheen, you may want to consider adding a clear coat. This look can add a little more shine to the pain and give a protective finish. Once your cabinets are completely dry, you can put them back together. This step is a great time to touch up any areas that may need to be fixed.

Painting your cabinets is a great way to improve your kitchen on a budget. With new countertops, backsplashes, and flooring, your kitchen will become the focal point of your home! Just remember, this project can take several days and can have your kitchen temporarily out of commission. Make sure to plan accordingly to accomplish this task!

How to Salvage Your Kitchen’s Existing Cabinets

By Leave a Comment

Let’s be honest; kitchen remodels can be expensive. In fact, budgeting to upgrade your kitchen is essential to make sure you prioritize your needs over your wants. Perhaps you are looking to renovate your whole kitchen from the floors and countertops to the appliances and cabinets. If you can save money in one category, you can free up some of your budget in another area. Recognizing what areas you can salvage can save you money. And since cabinets can be very pricey, salvaging them is a thrifty yet effective way to enhance the aesthetics of your kitchen. So if you are thinking of refinishing your cabinets, this is everything you should consider:

Fixing Any Damage

First, you need to recognize if your cabinets are damaged. For instance, can the scratches or dents be repaired? If so, you may decide that it is best to fix your cabinets instead of replacing them altogether. Painted cabinets have become more and more trendy and can make a stunning appearance when done correctly. Just make sure you patch any scratches, chips, or dents with epoxy or putty before painting.

Painting or Staining

Next, determine whether you are sanding or simply staining your cabinets. Stain can deepen and enrich the wood grain again, yet paint can also hide any flaws and give your kitchen a completely new look. First, sand the wood with the grain and remove any doors then paint intricate areas with a brush.

Just Replacing the Doors

If you hate your door and drawer design, consider just changing out the cabinet doors. You can purchase new cabinet doors and save money. Make sure that the wood or vinyl replacement is similar wood to your prior cabinets. Different woods, even the same color, will stain differently. If you are planning on painting them, you will not have to worry about this.

These simple tricks can allow you to save money in your kitchen remodel. Remodeling a kitchen is a significant investment that can increase the market value of your home. So, determine if salvaging your existing cabinets is right for you.

How to Reburish Your Cabinets

By Leave a Comment

Refinishing cabinets can save homeowners a lot of money during a redesign. By doing the cabinets yourself, you can create the custom look you desired without dropping loads of cash. Plus, the process of refurbishing is quick and easy.

Label The Doors

To avoid future confusion, label which door belongs with which cabinet by assigning numbers. Rip off a piece of tape and write the number with a permanent marker. Door one belongs with cabinet one and vice-versa.

Fill Holes with Wood Putty

This step is optional depending on whether or not you are planning on using the original hardware. If you decide to buy new hardware, fill the original holes with wood putty.

Sand The Wood

Begin by lightly sanding the wood surface to remove any remaining sheen.

Prime Coat The Cabinets

Invest in a quality primer for this project. If you are using a darker paint on your cabinets, buy a tinted primer. If you are painting a lighter color on the cabinets, you will apply fewer coats of paint and primer.

Rent an HVLP Paint Sprayer (Optional)

HVLP paint sprayers can be rented at your local home improvement stores and help with the overall quality and professional look of your cabinets. This sprayer helps avoid streak marks caused by an unsteady hand.

Use a Jig

Mark with a jig where you want your new hardware to be on the cabinet.

Reinstall Doors

You will need to match the doors with the numbers from before, and we are in business.

Apply Touch-ups

Basic touch-ups can be done after installation.

Place Hardware

By now, you should have decided whether or not you want to use your previous hardware or new hardware. New hardware allows you to add your personal touch to the piece. Consider playing around with different sizes and shapes to add character.

Protect with Felt Door Dampers

These help to protect the doors from everyday use. We encourage you to place them on to protect your recently refurbished cabinets.

Revamping your cabinets will add character to the room. Whether you are restoring the kitchen or the bathroom, it is an inexpensive but charismatic look for all budgets.

Building a House…I Wish I Had Thought of That! (Part Two)

By 2 Comments

Screen Shot 2013-05-07 at 10.36.28 AMAs promised we have added more helpful tips that will hopefully keep you from saying “I wish I had thought of that!”

  • Bathroom: I wish I had thought of this one…when designing your cabinets for your bathrooms, think about longer drawers and fewer cabinets. The storage in drawers can be so efficient. Adding draw organizers is sure to make anyone happy!
  • Rounded Corners: Round corners create a smooth custom look throughout your home, which is sometimes easy to miss when you’re thinking about the design of your home.
  • Wall Texture: have you ever noticed the wall texture on homes that you have visited? Some are rough, others a little textured (referred to as knocked down), and then there is smooth. Think about the style of your home and remember there are options when it comes to wall texture.
  • Screen Shot 2013-05-06 at 1.30.12 PMHardwood or Ceramic Floors: You don’t have to pick one or the other, you can have both! Combining wood floors and ceramic adds texture and style to any home. Just remember that the transition from one material to another can make or break a design. Make sure you have a clear-cut line between the two rooms; adding a border in the wood creates a very clean look.
  • Basement Ceiling:  The average basement ceiling is 8 to 9 feet tall. To make your basement feel more open and like the rest of your house consider 10-foot ceilings. You will pay a little more but at the end you will be happy you did it!
  • Interior Doors:  Solid 8-foot wood doors throughout your home will make a statement. Larger doors bring a custom feel to your home that you will enjoy for years to come.

Building a house takes a lot of time and planning. Try to put things in perspective and prioritize what is important to you and your family.

We’d like to take this opportunity to thank Megan for spending her time and sharing her home building insight!

Glass Pendants in the Kitchen

By Leave a Comment

Lighting takes on a number of different roles in the kitchen. It can be task lighting for chopping and preparing food, or ambient lighting for dinners at the island counter.  Pretty glass pendants make this functional lighting feel special.  Pendant lights combined with recessed lighting and lighting under the cabinets creates a well-rounded lighting plan for every kitchen task.

These glass pendant lights over the island look to be hand-blown.  Their warm color shifts between creams to a deep amber, casting a warm light over the island through the glass and a strong, clear light directly below.  They also add a nice spot of color in a neutral kitchen.

White cabinets and dark ebony stained wood floors are great bones in this traditional kitchen. Adding color with the lighting is a nice way to introduce it into the room while keeping the main elements neutral.  The yellow tones of the glass look wonderful with the cream and black. The sunny yellow accents really warm up the kitchen, as well.

Mixing the handcrafted, almost contemporary style of the glass pendant lights breaks up the traditional feeling of the kitchen.  Adding a few handmade or handcrafted design elements like these glass pendants makes the kitchen feel a bit more eclectic and personalized.  Traditional style pendant lights or vintage schoolhouse style pendants would also work in this kitchen.  Green metal shades or black shades would look great with the cream and black elements of the kitchen.  Whatever style you choose, pendant lights over the kitchen island can be the perfect solution for lighting up this essential workspace.

From the Floors Up

From the Floors Up blog was created with the goal of providing a destination for consumers, designers and those interested in the flooring, design, and kitchen and bath industries. Here you’ll find, current, accurate and informative information that is always just a click away!

Recent Comments

Subscribe

Enter your email address to receive new post notifications via email.